8.3 accuracy and inaccuracy in memory and cognition

cognitive biases

systematic errors in memory or judgement

source confusion

forgetting the source of a memory

confirmation bias

when we ignore information that goes against our beliefs and search for evidence that supports our beliefs

functional fixedness

occurs when peoples’ schemas prevent them for using an object in new and untraditional ways

misinformation effect

errors in memory that occur when new information influences existing memories

overconfidence

tendency for people to be too certain about their ability to accurately remember events and to make judgements

flashbulb memory

a vivid and emotional memory of an unusual event that people believe they remember well

algorithms

problem-solving strategies

• always funds the answer

heuristic

category of simple thinking shortcuts

representativeness heuristic

a cognitive bias that may occur when we base our judgements on information that seems to represent, or match, what we think will happen

availability heuristic

tendency to make judgments of the frequency likelihood that an event occurred based on the ease with which it took to remember the memory

counterfactual thinking

tendency to think about and experience events according to ‘what might have been’